To fight for king and country
by Lina-Kitten
Summary: Read the title, read the fic, read and review. Eowyn's reaction to King Jonathan's treatment of Kalasin.
1. Middlearth

I do not own Tamora Pierce's books. Well I do...I bought them all. But I don't own the rights to them. OK?  
  
Written when I was in an extremely bad mood with King Jonathan and bound to take it out somehow. And how better than with my favourite shieldmaiden???  
  
In which Eowyn gets a turn at Jon-bashing.......  
  
Oh no, GIRLS can't fight. Of course not. Why would anyone think they could? I mean, even if they've been trained to fight, and are known to be a shieldmaiden of a noble fighting house, they still shouldn't want to fight in a proper BATTLE. They might faint or something. No, no, let them take the refugees to a safe hiding place while the men do the REAL work.  
  
What a load of rubbish! But it's what everyone in Rohan seems to think. I mean, why else'd I get packed off with the oldies and the squalling little children. I can fight just as well as the men my lord trusts to defend his realm. Even Lord Aragorn expects me to stay at home in safety, while he does his bit defending MY country, MY people. But he likes nice, gentle, pretty elf girls, doesn't he? Not some girl with ideas about fighting. He just feels SORRY for HER.  
  
It's not fair. I want to die, heroically, in battle. Sure, it's a form of suicide. Maybe Lord Aragorn'd feel sorry for me when he learnt of my death. Only I'm not allowed to ride with the men, am I? My lord commands me to stay here. Well for once, I'm not going to do as I'm told. I've been faithful, even with that snake Grima always at me. I deserve some reward for my service, but no, I get to stay here. I told Lord Aragorn I fear a cage. So I do.  
  
Poor Merry, he's not allowed to go either. Very well, "Dernhelm" will go, and he shall come too. So there, elf girl!  
  
Let's see what today holds. I hope it brings my death. Lord Aragorn loves an elf maiden. He deserves better than me. No matter how royal my blood is.  
  
The Nazghul is coming! No men dare fight it. Perhaps a mere girl dares though.  
  
Everything's black. I'm dying. Is it dead? I don't know. I don't care. Tired. Ice. So cold, cold, cold...................." 


	2. Tortall

Ow!!!! That smelt foul. Wait, where am I?  
  
She coughed, trying to turn her head away from the foul smell.  
  
"What is that?"  
  
"Bogwort, with a hint of monksbane and a little-" a man's voice began.  
  
"Numair, the poor girl doesn't need you reciting the ingredients to that horrible stuff." Another voice, a woman's, filled with laughter. "Here, let's take the mask off her face." The blackness disappeared and Eowyn could see she was in a white-walled room, and that a young woman was standing by the bed on which she lay. A man wearing black robes of some kind stood beside her.  
  
"Where-" Eowyn began.  
  
"You're in the healing house at the palace, Corus," the man [Numair?] told her.  
  
"Cor-?"  
  
"Get some sleep now, King Jonathan wants to see you tomorrow morning and believe me you'll need the rest."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"You'll feel better in the morning. Sleep well."  
  
Where was she? Eowyn didn't think it was anyplace in Middlearth she knew. And who was this King Jonathan and why did he want to see her? She gave up puzzling and fell asleep.  
  
/////\\\\\  
  
Next morning, when she woke, Eowyn still hadn't figured out where she was. Corus? There was no such place. When Eowyn moved, the young woman looked up from the desk on the far side of the room.  
  
"Feeling better? You'd best have something to eat before you dress and then I'll take you to Numair's workroom. Elsewise he might spoil your appetite and you need to eat. By the way, I'm Daine. You might not've grasped that when they carried you in here."  
  
As she spoke, she produced a mug of steaming liquid.  
  
"Drink this first. It's a magic so it'll taste foul, but it's good for getting over a healing."  
  
Feeling confused, Eowyn drank the liquid. The woman, Daine, was right, it tasted horrible and she screwed up her face against the taste. Daine offered her fruit and porridge, at least, that's what it looked like. Eowyn was suddenly hungry. She ate heartily. When she set down her spoon, she saw that Daine had laid out her clothes on the chair. Daine helped her dress. Eowyn would have argued but Daine, forestalling her said, "There's no way you'll be able to dress yourself, weak as you are. You'd much better let me help you."  
  
Eowyn still would have argued, but she couldn't be bothered. And she felt so tired. When she was ready, Daine led her out into a maze of corridors. They were pasing an ornately carved door when Eowyn heard raised voices.  
  
"Kalasin, I have told you before, it is NOT fitting that you should be a page."  
  
"Then why did you change the law so girls could be pages? You weren't so fussy about what was fitting when Lady Alanna was made a knight."  
  
"That was different."  
  
"What, because she was your lover? I've heard the palace gossip you know."  
  
"KALASIN! You will go to your room and you will NOT speak to me about this matter again. Girls can NOT be knights. Especially not you."  
  
"You gods-cursed hypocrite!"  
  
The door was flung open and a girl aged about 11, Eowyn thought, came storming out. She saw Eowyn and Daine, and flung past them, running down the corridor and disappearing round a corner.  
  
"What the-?" Eowyn began.  
  
"THAT was Kalasin," Daine said wryly, "Eldest daughter of King Jonathan. She wants to become a knight and learn to fight like her brother, but her father won't let her."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"He says a princess mustn't."  
  
"That's not fair".  
  
"No, but you can't argue with the king. Believe me, people've tried. The only people who can are Queen Thayet, Lady Alanna and Numair.  
  
"Oh can't I?"  
  
Daine stared at her in disbelief.  
  
"You don't mean to say you're going to-"  
  
"That's exactly what I mean. I wasn't allowed to fight to defend my home. Maybe I can do something for Kalasin."  
  
"But-"  
  
Eowyn ignored her and shoved open the door. She saw a very good-looking man sitting at a desk on the far side of the room. He glanced up.  
  
"What part of 'no' don't you understand Kalasin?" he began.  
  
Then he realised the irate woman in armour who stood before him, glaring furiously was definitely NOT his daughter. 


	3. Middlearth again

"Who're you?"  
  
"The Lady Eowyn, shield-maiden of the house of Eorl, the rulers of Rohan, IF, as I very much doubt, it is any business of yours."  
  
"But you-" King Jonathan spluttered.  
  
"King Theoden is a reasonable man and the only reason I wasn't allowed to fight against Sauron's forces was because my people trust only in our house to lead them and needed protection. My brother Eomer rode at the king's side. We are the last of our house, and one had to remain in case both the king and my brother fell. However, there's no excuse for the way you have treated your daughter. She wants to learn to fight. For what reason did you change the laws of your country if not to allow girls to learn to fight if they so wished?"  
  
"King Theoden? Sauron? My daughter?"  
  
"YES, YOUR DAUGHTER! You stuck-up fool, don't you understand that a ruler must inspire the loyalty of his followers through the fairness of his judgement as well as his bravery in battle? And that counts most with his own family. Treason is most often found in those closest to a king. Wormtongue would have killed my father, do you think you are immune? Why don't you THINK for a change? Maybe if you actually treated your daughter like a HUMAN BEING she'd respect and love you enough to accept what you've said about her being a knight. As it is she never will accept it, and she hates you! You can't see what's in front of your nose, can you?! That Kalasin'll make a far better knight than you ever have and ever will be!"  
  
"Now wait just a minute-"  
  
"I really don't think this is a good idea, Eowyn-" Daine said.  
  
"D'you think it matters that you're a king? It wouldn't matter if you ruled the entire earth, you still wouldn't be above being told exactly what kind of IDIOT you are. And it doesn't matter what you can do to me either. I'm dead, the Nazgul killed me and I don't care what happens now. So you may as well go apologise to your daughter and to me for making me waste my voice yelling at you."  
  
Jonathan gaped. So did Daine. Because as she stopped speaking (or screaming rather), Eowyn vanished.  
  
There was an awkward pause.  
  
"Uh, I think I'll just go back to my rooms now," Daine began, edging towards the door.  
  
"Alright," Jonathan said dreamily. Daine gave him a sharp look. He seemed to have gone simple or something. She was just opening the door, when she realised that Jonathan was speaking.  
  
".....Strange woman but she had a point. I'm going to go talk to Kali."  
  
And Jonathan strode past Daine and disappeared down the corridor. Daine looked after his retreating figure, completely flabbergasted.  
  
"Well, I guess that makes it four people who can argue with him," she thought, "Thayet, Alanna, Numair.....and Eowyn.  
  
************ Eowyn stirred and opened her eyes. She was in the Healing House, she could see and somehow she felt much happier than she had before. Before what? Before she'd yelled at that man in that strange place. She'd told him he couldn't see what was in front of his nose. And she'd been making a fuss about Aragorn when it was Faramir she really loved. And who loved her.  
  
Springing from her bed, Eowyn hurried to dress, then ran light-footed from the room to find her love. 


End file.
